The carcass of an elephant was found in a ravine inside the Coonoor range of The Nilgiris North Division on Monday.
A post-mortem examination by forest veterinarian N. S. Manoharan, in the presence of senior forest officials and members of the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association, revealed that the female elephant, aged about ten years, had slipped and fallen from a height of about 150 to 200 feet.
Stating that “it suffered multiple injuries including a broken skull”, Dr. Manoharan told
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A team led by Bargur Ranger Alagesan set out to the spot in Guddayur II Beat of Thamaraikarai section of the Reserve Forest on Monday morning and reached there after a long trek. A spot-post-mortem examination revealed severe external and internal injuries. The bones in the head were found crushed due to the tusker's apparent fall from a height of 100 metres, to a sloping distance of about half a kilometre. The rough surface had caused the elephant's instant death, Mr. Alagesan said.
After removing the tusks, the team, consisting of Forester Muthusamy, Beat Guard Manickam and anti-poaching watchers, returned leaving the carcass at the spot for predators to prey on, since the elephant died in good health.
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